Police: Alburtis mayor shoved by man charged in DUI crash

Alburtis Mayor Kathy Palmer was shoved multiple times by a 57-year-old man she tried to confront following a vehicle crash at Alburtis and Orchard roads in Lower Macungie last month, state police at Fogelsville said.

Palmer was not injured, but the alleged May 12 incident led to the filing of harassment and other charges against Robert V. Gibson, of Vista Drive, Lower Macungie Township, police.

Investigators say Gibson was driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.12 percent, above the state's 0.08 percent legal limit for driving, when he drove into a security gate at the Mack Trucks plant. In addition to the alleged harassment offense, Gibson was charged by summons with drunken driving and 10 traffic offenses, according to court records.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by police:

Palmer told investigators that she was driving on Alburtis Road near Church Street shortly after 8 p.m. when a vehicle was traveling close to her bumper before passing her on her left, over a double-yellow line.

As Palmer drove on, she noticed that the vehicle that had been behind her was in a crash. She got out of her vehicle to check on the condition of the driver.

She said that Gibson got out of his vehicle and began to walk away. When she tried to tell him not to leave the crash scene, Gibson pushed her multiple times and told her to leave him alone and mind her own business.

Other witnesses told police that after pushing the mayor, Gibson was picked up by another vehicle driving by the accident scene.

Officers eventually determined that Gibson had been drinking and took him to the Lehigh County Central Booking Center to have blood drawn for a blood-alcohol content test.